The arraignment of Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the Director-General (DG) of an alleged “non-existent” Presidential Foreign Investment Promotion Council (PFIPC), may be postponed due to his absence from court.
Adeyemi is scheduled to appear before Justice Mohammed Umar on an eight-count accusation of forgery, fraud, and impersonation, marked FHC/ABJ/CR/562/2025.
Despite the fact that the case is No. 12 on the court’s cause list, the defendant has yet to appear.
There are signs that the inspector general of police, who is prosecuting the matter, may seek a bench warrant for his arrest wherever he is located.
On November 27, 2025, Wisdom Madaki, a police prosecutor, filed a case against Adeyemi and two other defendants.
The President’s Chief of Staff, Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila, Paul Emmanuel, Jeremiah Imoukhede, and Ituah Sylvester are among those scheduled to testify on the subject.
Other witnesses include public workers from the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Akimbo Shola and Adamu Balongu; as well as a deputy superintendent of police.
Adeyemi, whose whereabouts were unknown, stated in an interview with Channels Television on Monday that his retirement from public view was due to purported threats to his life.
He denied that he was hiding from law enforcement in order to avoid being investigated for his role in the suspected PFIPC scam.
“I’m ready to show my face. I’m not hiding. I’m only fearing for my life because I have it on good authority that my life is in danger.
“There have been several attempts on my life,” Adeyemi added.
Adeyemi claimed that he used a proxy to pay N400 million to President Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Gbajabiamila, to secure his appointment as DG of the disputed council.
He claims that those who lent him the money have since brought him before the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
A preliminary police investigation report revealed how the defendant allegedly faked appointment letters and official documents to give the impression that the PFIPC was a real federal government body.
Police said the inquiry began after the Office of the Chief of Staff to the President petitioned the IGP on October 17, 2025, about the conduct of persons allegedly falsifying official appointment letters ostensibly issued by the office.
It also stated that preliminary results revealed that the fabricated documents featured falsified signatures, reference numbers, official seals, and the Nigerian Coat of Arms and were allegedly used to appoint individuals to the non-existent PFIPC.
Adeyemi, the main suspect, allegedly posed as the council’s director general and worked from an office in Abuja’s Federal Secretariat Complex, Phase III.
Dolapo Babatunde Tanimola, one of those reportedly involved in the fraud, is claimed to have died in a fire at an Abuja hotel.
Meanwhile, Adeyemi, who had previously denied the existence of the PFIPC, called for an independent, multi-stakeholder investigative panel to look into the controversy surrounding the Council’s purported N1.3 billion budget insertion in the 2026 Appropriations Bill.
In an open letter to President Tinubu, Adeyemi stated that he was willing to offer documentary proof and fully collaborate with investigators once an independent panel was established.
He proposed that the independent investigative panel include representatives from civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), independent media organizations, international financial institutions, human rights groups, diplomatic missions, the ICPC, and the EFCC.
Adeyemi stated that the unusual circumstances surrounding Tanimola’s death, whom he regarded as a significant intermediary in the case, bolstered his resolve to remain undercover.
